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VICTORIA — About 30,000 six-kilogram Atlantic salmon escaped from a Stolt Sea Farms Ltd. farm site off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island early Tuesday morning, Fisheries Minister Dennis Streifel said today.
"The issue of escaped Atlantic salmon is central to the public debate over salmon farming," said Streifel. "While farm-management practices have improved and the number of escapes has declined dramatically in recent years, I continue to be concerned about the potential impacts of escaped farmed salmon."
B.C. Fisheries and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans continue to conduct programs which monitor B.C. marine waters and streams for escaped Atlantic salmon. Earlier this year Atlantic salmon were found to have spawned in both the Tsitika River and Amor de Cosmos Creek.
"I have directed staff to conduct a thorough investigation of the escape prevention practices employed on the farm in question, and report back to me as quickly as possible," said Streifel. "This incident reinforces the need to establish regulations which will make sure that all farms have approved recovery plans in place when escapes do occur. Also, the province’s long-term salmon aquaculture policy must include provisions which will suspend or revoke the licences of operators whose farm-management practices lead to repeated escapes."
Uploaded: 9/23/1999
Uploaded: 9/23/1999